Frequently Asked Questions

We work across the United Kingdom and Europe. We prefabricate the timber frames in our framing yards and then transport them to site, ready for assembly. We have built several frames in France and have a carpentry team working for us in Bas Normandy.

The cost of an oak frame varies based on a host of factors, such as the design, scale and site accessibility. However, as a rough guide, you can base your budget on a cost of £3,000 – £4,000 per square metre.

No. We would be delighted for you to visit our yard in Petersfield, Hampshire, where you can see our carpenters in action and get a feel for how we work. Please get in touch to book your visit.

We require a 10% deposit to secure your order and book a slot in our fabrication programme. With this done, we’ll discuss your programme and all your requirements with you and your architect (if applicable). Every project is unique – there are no standard components or layouts. This means that a medium-sized project, such as a small house frame or a large oak frame extension, will take around 8 weeks to achieve signed-off drawings. After this, we will select your timber and then begin fabrication.

We are both! We specialise in technical frame design and support this service with our in-house team of qualified architects. This means we can support you with the full design of your new oak frame structure, or work with plans drawn up by your own architect. 

We design, build, and assemble the timber frame – this is our area of expertise, and one we do not wish to dilute. We have trusted relationships with architects, glaziers, roofers, contractors and so on, and can support you and your project as you work with them. To find out more about how we work, visit our services page.

Most of the oak we use comes from France, where forests have been managed for hundreds of years to provide excellent construction timber. With a long history of growing tall, straight trees of exceptional quality specifically for building, our company directors have direct, close relationships with sawyers and sawmills to ensure we consistently receive the highest-quality timber for our oak frames. We source all our timber from forests that adhere to the highest environmental management standards and hold PEFC accreditation.

Oak has always been a popular choice for traditional timber frame construction; it is available in large structural section sizes, allowing us to create a well-designed, long-lasting structure.

The external surfaces of untreated oak will weather naturally. This means it will initially darken slightly and then turn a silvery grey colour, subject to exposure. Internally, oak does not change colour, as it is protected from UV light.

Oak frames are ideal for self-build projects. Once the sub-structure works are complete and we have assembled your frame, the cladding and roof work, internal finishes, and so on, can be completed at your leisure.

Although native to the UK, very few of our home-grown oak trees have the characteristics required for post-and-beam timber-frame construction. Most of the oak we use comes from France, where forests have been specifically managed over hundreds of years to provide excellent construction timber.

We build with a variety of timbers and materials, depending on the project. These include Douglas Fir, Larch and Glulam. Find out more about our materials.

The Green Oak Carpentry Company has an excellent reputation for quality and service and has won several industry awards. But there’s nothing like experiencing one of our projects for yourself. If you’d like to know more about how we work, you have several options – you can visit one of our open days or events, which we run throughout the year. Alternatively, book a visit to our workshops to meet the team and see how we work. We can also arrange for you to visit one of our completed projects, subject to the property owners’ agreement.

See our list of open days and events

Yes. We carry Professional Indemnity insurance to the sum of £500,000 for every claim.

Yes, all our frames carry a 6-year warranty against defective workmanship and materials. Problems are very rare, but if they do occur, we take them very seriously and do our utmost to resolve them.

Insuring your oak frame house is usually done in one of two ways:

You employ an architect whose full service includes planning submission, detailed design and contract administration. Once the building is complete, your architect will produce a final certificate, at which point your building will be insured under the architect’s Professional Indemnity insurance.

Alternatively, you can consider insuring your building using a company like NHBC, Zurich, or Building Plans. They insure oak-frame buildings on the proviso that the building is well-designed and executed.

Under the right conditions, oak can last for centuries – up to 200 years or more. There are many examples of historic buildings that have stood for centuries thanks to robust construction methods.

Yes, all our frames carry a 6-year warranty against defective workmanship and materials. Problems are very rare, but if they do occur, we take them very seriously and do our utmost to resolve them.

Thanks to its high levels of tannin – a natural preservative – oak requires almost no maintenance, other than an occasional dusting. However, you may wish to treat it for aesthetic reasons. When the external surfaces are exposed to natural sunshine, an untreated frame will turn silvery grey. Many people prefer this effect, but if you’d prefer to avoid it, you can do so by applying a specialist finish, which will require ongoing maintenance.

Your oak frame contains high levels of tannin – a natural substance that protects it when exposed to UV light, rain, and temperature extremes. This means that you don’t need to take special steps to protect your frame from weathering.

Green oak dries out over time –  this is what causes an oak-framed building to move. The movement tends to be subtle because of how our designers and carpenters detail your frame where it meets internal finishes. We recommend you allow your frame to settle after your building has been completed. You can then touch up any interior finishes after a few years to account for subtle changes.

Yes. Because we use freshly sawn timber, your frame will almost certainly shrink and develop fissures as it dries. This should not be seen as a defect, but instead as a sign that you have a unique frame made from an all-natural material. These ‘imperfections’ are symbolic of your oak frame’s beauty and will evolve.

Cleaning an oak frame can mean a few different things. When the frame is first erected, we recommend sandblasting the internal surfaces to remove any marks and tannin stains. This will restore the frame to a pale straw colour and highlight the beauty of the grain. You can use specialist products to clean specific/smaller areas of an oak frame if necessary, but we recommend doing adequate research beforehand to prevent damage. As for domestic cleaning, you can do so as you would any other household surface.

We prefer the appearance of unoiled oak frames, and so don’t recommend oiling your oak. Oak contains high levels of natural preservatives, so additional treatments are not necessary to preserve your oak frame. However, if you’d prefer to oil your oak, please do so – be reassured that you won’t damage your oak if you do oil it.